Sunday, June 24, 2012

I have had a buffalo steak in my freezer for a couple of months now, not
knowing really what to do with it. I haven’t cooked it before. I decided to
incorporate it with a dish that I have been craving a lot lately. Tacos. The
seasoning has a small amount of kick to it due to the chili powder (add more
than 2 teaspoons if you like heat), but is balanced out due to the brown sugar
and paprika.

In a large ziplock bag, combine all of the ingredients above, with the
exception of the tortillas. Shake the bag and massage it to blend the
seasonings and coat the meat. Let marinate for about an hour.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat, not too hot or else the buffalo will
cook too quickly. Grill the meat, turning after a several minutes on each side.
Transfer to a plate and allow to sit (there’ll be lots of juices from the
marinade). Place two strips into the tortilla and top with your favorite
toppings. I did chopped spinach, tomato, onion, cilantro, and cheese.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions, and garlic. Add the cayenne pepper. Saute until onions are soft, lowering heat as needed to prevent browning. Add the spinach and cook for another few minutes until wilted. Remove from heat.

Place tortillas on in one layer in the baking dish. Top with black beans, tomatoes, onion mixture, cheese, and cilantro. Top with another layer of tortillas. Continue layering, ending with cheese.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited my uncle and father. Within an hour of being there, we were swapping recipes. My family is big on food, shocking. My uncle had stacks and stacks of recipes that he had saved from magazines, cooking books, and newspapers. So of course, my father and I had to go through and make copies of all our favorites. One of which is a risotto recipe*. I like, okay love, mascarpone (desserts, savory dishes…it’s perfect in so many ways), so this a natural choice for me.

*Adopted from Cooking Light.

1 ½ cups boiling water

4 ounces mushrooms

14 ounces beef broth

1 cup uncooked Aroborio rice

¾ cup chopped onion (or shallots)

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup grated parmigiano cheese

¼ cup mascarpone cheese

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine the boiling water and mushrooms together. Let stand for about 10 minutes and then drain, reserving 1 ¼ cup of the liquid. Chop the mushrooms and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the reserved mushroom liquid and beef broth to a boil. Lower heat to bring to a simmer. Keep it warm over low heat.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add the rice, onion, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Don’t allow to brown too much. Add the wine and cook until the liquid evaporates, only a couple of minutes.

Add 1 cup broth mixture to the rice mixture. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until just about absorbed. Stir occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick to the pan. Add the remaining mixture in ½ cup batches. Place rice into a serving bowl. Add the mushrooms, cheeses, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir until just melted. Serve warm. Top with addition mascarpone if wanted.

In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and four tablespoons of the milk (reserve the rest). Stir until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then in another bowl, whisk the butter, oil, egg, green onion, and the rest of the milk.

Combine the flour mixture and butter mixture until just moistened.

Spoon one tablespoon into each muffin cup. Then top each one with the goat cheese filling (about 1 teaspoon of goat cheese). Top each one with some more batter. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pans after about five minutes after removing from the oven.

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About Me

I grew up watching and learning from my dad cooking in the kitchen. He somehow managed to take what looked like "nothing to eat" and turn it into a feast. He taught me how to appreciate and love food.
It seems like life has a habit of getting in the way of what we all rather be doing (eating and cooking mostly!). Sometimes you have to slow down and make real food. It's one of the best comforts available.